The Red and Black

Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: Opinions

ROBINNS EXUME

Saturdays in the fall are filled with tailgating, packed stadiums and total confusion. Top-ranked teams are dropping like Athens' water supply, and fans, analysts and so-called experts are looking for answers.

The gap between the "Michigans" and the "Appalachian States" is closing as smaller programs are becoming better at luring elite talent with better facilities, promises of television exposure and guaranteed playing time.

As top teams fall from the polls, the very validity of those rankings has come into question.

One solution to this quandary is to eliminate the ridiculous preseason poll and bring out the initial poll of the year after week four of the season. I have many reasons for abolishing the preseason polls, but I will focus on a few.

First, the polls are unnecessary. In the first couple weeks of the season there are usually five or six teams that can claim rights to a No. 1 ranking.

As the elite teams in the nation open against the likes of North Texas and Western Carolina, the nation is left to view a plethora of blowouts and mismatches.

Take this year's version of the Georgia Bulldogs, ranked 13 in the preseason poll and seen as a contender for the SEC title after beating an overrated Oklahoma State team in week one. Six weeks later, the team stands toward the bottom of the polls and never may be able to climb back up because it has not met the expectations of the preseason polls. This brings up point number two.

Preseason polls are usually bound to fail - they usually are based on what teams did in the previous year, which is tough in a sport where teams undergo extreme makeovers every four years.

Consider Michigan's season. The Wolverines were ranked No. 5 in the nation and were expected by many to contend for a national title. In week one the team was exposed by Div. 2 Appalachian State and then was blown out by unranked Oregon.

UCLA, which started the season at No. 14 and climbed to No. 11, was beaten by an unranked team in week two - by 38 points.

Number five Wisconsin was beaten by an unranked Illinois team that was actually favored to beat them - amazing.

The biggest case against the preseason poll has to be that just six weeks into the season, two of the teams in the Top Five (South Florida and Boston College) weren't ranked in the pre-season poll. Already this season there have been 43 teams ranked in the Top 25 in the first seven weeks compared to 34 in 2006.

Last Saturday, the No. 1 (LSU) and No.2 (California) teams in the nation were upset on the same day for the first time in 11 years. The two teams that replaced them (Ohio St. and South Florida) weren't even ranked in the preseason Top 10.

Supporters of the preseason poll would argue it gives a clear view of where every team stands, adds interest to many early season matchups and makes upsets that much bigger. While that point is well taken, the chance to play and earn a No. 1 ranking is the kind of competition college football is all about.

Pushing the initial poll to follow week four of the season gives voters a better sample of what each team has to offer and can better rank the 25 best teams in the nation.

Teams would schedule more competitive games earlier in the year to achieve a high ranking in the initial poll.

Goodbye Ohio St. vs. Ohio Community College - hello, Ohio St. vs. Georgia. Remember, good things come to those who wait.


- Robinns Exume is a sports stringer for The Red & Black.

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